Back to EveryPatent.com
United States Patent |
5,167,927
|
Karlson
|
December 1, 1992
|
Monitor for ozone, hydrogen peroxide and other gases in fluids
Abstract
This monitoring invention is an improvement over the ozone (O.sub.3) and
hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2 O.sub.2) monitoring systems that are now
commercially used.
The manner in which this monitor measures the gas, or a gas dissolved in a
liquid, is by measuring the heat energy that is released when the material
to be measured is catalyzed. The detector measures the heat produced when,
for example, ozone is reduced to oxygen or the hydrogen peroxide is
reduced to oxygen and water by a catalytic action. This heat energy is
collected and measured. The higher the temperature, the higher the
concentration.
Inventors:
|
Karlson; Eskil L. (4634 State St., Erie, PA 16509)
|
Appl. No.:
|
429628 |
Filed:
|
October 31, 1989 |
Current U.S. Class: |
422/90; 73/25.01; 73/25.03; 374/10; 422/94; 422/95 |
Intern'l Class: |
G01N 027/04 |
Field of Search: |
422/90,94,95
73/25.01,25.03,23.2
374/10,45
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
2899281 | Aug., 1959 | Olmer | 422/96.
|
4668635 | May., 1987 | Forster | 422/94.
|
4920792 | May., 1990 | DiFoggio | 73/153.
|
Primary Examiner: Warden; Robert J.
Assistant Examiner: Collins; Laura E.
Claims
I claim:
1. A gas monitoring apparatus for measuring ozone or hydrogen peroxide
concentration in a gas comprising means for directing a stream of said gas
against matched thermally conducting plates on opposite sides of the axis
of said stream and extending upstream at an acute angle to said axis, one
plate carrying on its upstream side a coating including a catalyst for
ozone or hydrogen peroxide and the other plate carrying on its upstream
face a second coating equal to the first plate's, weight and thermal
properties, but without the catalyst, and sensing means on the downstream
side of each said plates for measuring the temperature of its plate and
means for indicating the difference between said temperatures to indicate
the concentration of ozone or hydrogen peroxide in said gas.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a heat sink on the
downstream side of said plates for equilizing the temperatures of said
plates.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 plus insulation between said plates and said
heat sink for varying the response time of the temperature indicators.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for directing the gas
against the plates comprises a nozzle directed toward the upstream side of
said plates.
Description
This new ozone or hydrogen peroxide measuring instrument is small, is quite
simple, and can either be made portable or be designed into a large
complex system; furthermore it is inexpensive to manufacture.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One of the most difficult problems when working with ozone or hydrogen
peroxide is the measurement of its exact concentration in a moving gas.
The problem becomes more severe if either or both the pressure and
temperature of the gas are changing. There are a number of instruments
commercially available that will measure ozone but they are complicated,
expensive, difficult to calibrate and have a long time constant. These
commercial instruments are difficult to design into a system and generally
can not be built to be portable.
It should be pointed out that U.S. Pat. No. 3,153,577 of 1964 teaches the
use of a DC bridge circuit for measuring ozone concentration when the
detector is a thermistor. This patent does not measure or control flow,
temperature or pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,183 of 1983 covers a method to measure ozone in water.
However, different dissolvable salts will produce errors in the
measurements.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,899,281 teaches the use of a catalyst coated thermistor
employed in a bridge, as does U.S. Pat. No. 3,153,577. Neither of these
patents takes the pressure of their samples into account in their
measurements and calculations, nor does either patent employ a heat sink
with or at their thermistors. By not taking both temperature and pressure
into the concentration calculations, they can not measure an ozone
concentration of 2 parts per million with any accuracy or confidence.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,797 of 1966 teaches the measuring of ozone by a
charcoal catalyst held in a tube. This is fine, but this patent has not
taken into account either the gas temperature or its pressure and it does
not teach how to control its gas or how it controls or measures the time
constant. This system's sensitivity is also low.
The common problem with most of the commercial ozone monitoring instruments
available is that they do not cover a broad enough range and are to slow
to respond. For example, in the wood pulp industry, the need is for an
instrument with a fast time constant that will measure ozone concentration
and also be the detector to control the total bleaching system. In this
case, the ozone is (in its gas phase operating at a temperature from 5 to
25 degrees centigrade at a concentration up to 20%) employed as a
bleaching agent on wood pulp. The ozone is administered quickly so as not
to destroy the fibers. It is therefore necessary to quickly know the ozone
concentration at different temperatures and pressures. The problem is
measuring and following any change in concentration at high concentrations
at different pressures and at changing temperatures. These measurements
must be done continuously, as part of the system, with an instrument
having a short time constant of less than 0.25 seconds.
Another point, is that most of the available instruments for monitoring
ozone or hydrogen peroxide are not meant to be portable. The need, when
working with ozone or hydrogen peroxide, is for a portable instrument that
can be used to sniff out where an O.sub.3 or an H.sub.2 O.sub.2 leak may
occur. This portable instrument should be sensitive, (less than 1 part per
million full scale), have a short time constant with an accuracy of plus
or minus 2% or less, and be battery powered. It should also be equipped
with a long intake tube that can be used to reach out to check for leaks
around flanges and valves, for example, in a city's drinking water
purification systems employing ozone as a sterilant or in a waste water
disinfection plant. In all cases, both monitors, the stationary installed
ozone system monitor or the hand held portable model, should be completely
automatic, need little or no calibration, be simple and need only minor
servicing.
SUMMARY
For the past 20 years, science has been looking for an inexpensive, simple
monitor that could be relied on to measure and control ozone concentration
in hospital sterilizer units and in city water supply systems that employ
O.sub.3 as the sterilant. The methods of testing employed now are
expensive and cumbersome. The need for a hydrogen peroxide monitor for
H.sub.2 O.sub.2 as a gas or in its liquid state is also great, for H.sub.2
O.sub.2 is finding uses in hospitals as a disinfectant and sterilant and
in many areas it is used as a powerful oxidant.
An interesting fact about this new method of gas concentration monitoring
is that a number of different gases can be detected and their
concentration measured by this same technique. The catalysts chosen would
be specific for the gas or liquid measured, and its heat released by
catalytic action, would be measured as an indicator of its concentration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system for detecting ozone concentration.
FIG. 2 includes front, back and side views of the detectors.
FIG. 2a is a side elevation of the thermal detectors;
FIG. 2b is an enlarged edge view of the part of one of the detectors
circled by dotted lines in FIG. 2a;
FIG. 2c is a front view of the detectors;
FIG. 2d is a back view of the detectors.
FIG. 3 is a view of a modification of the detectors.
FIG. 4 is a bridge circuit used to measure the temperature of the
detectors.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show modification of the detectors.
This invention can be employed as an ozone monitor in the following manner.
The sample is picked up by line "5," as shown in FIG. 1. This sample
passes through a dust collector "1" and through the gas heater "3." It
then is drawn through a nitrous oxide filter at "6" which is only included
in the circuit when nitrous oxide may be present in the gas monitored.
Some nitrous oxide will form if air is used to supply oxygen for the ozone
generator. Filter "6" is omitted if oxygen is employed as a raw gas for
the ozone generator. Heater "3" may also be omitted if the gas monitored
is relatively dry with a humidity less than 20%.
After the O.sub.3 gas passes through filter at "6", it continues through
"8," into chamber "10," through nozzle "7," at which point the gas
increases in velocity. The gas impinges on thermal detector areas "A1,"
and "A2." The gas then is drawn from chamber "10" to a second same sized
chamber "11" by pump "12." As the gas is passed into chamber "11", hitting
the second pair of thermal detectors "B1" and "B2," its velocity has again
increased as it passes through jet "14."
The ozone gas detection is accomplished by measuring the resistance
difference between the active and compensating thermistors "A1" and "A2,"
"B1" and "B2," in the "10" and "11" chambers. The active area of "A1" and
"B1" is coated with an ozone catalyst. The compensating area is coated
with a non oxidizing insulator. The ozone is catalyzed, as it hits the
active areas "A1" and "B1." The catalyst converts the ozone back into
oxygen releasing heat. This heat energy changes the resistance of the
active area thermistor which has the property of changing resistance at a
negative rate of 5% per degree centigrade. The ozone concentrations of the
pumped gas sample is thus electronically measured, being the resistance
difference of the two flakes in each chamber. The sample flow is
controlled by electronic flow meter "16" and valve at "17." It is
important that the sample flow is constant for each sample. The
instrument's sensitivity and time constant is dependent on the velocity of
sample flow through the instrument, its electronic time constant and its
thermal time constant. The calibration is measured and recorded at a set
operating controlled flow at 90% of each range. Four other calibration
points 10%, 20%, 40%, and 60% are also measured to check instrument
linearity. Before the sample leaves the instrument, for safety, it is
completely catalyzed at point "18" to rid the gas of any remaining ozone.
The electronics and the thermal detectors are the same for both the
portable and the permanently installed system. The ozone detection system
is simply the electronic measurement of the heat energy that is released
when the ozone is converted back into oxygen. This is actually a
calorimetric measuring instrument.
With a first detection method, the gas to be monitored is impinged on two
monitoring plates, in both FIGS. 1 and 2. Number "20" acts as the active
plate, its temperature increases by the heat of converting the ozone to
oxygen and the second plate, number "22" is acting as a compensating plate
in FIG. 2, its temperature only following ambient or the temperature of
the incoming sample. The active plate number "20" is covered with
activated copper oxide or other ozone catalyst, "19," which will convert
ozone to oxygen. The catalyst "19," is a fine lightweight powder coating
covering the active copper or silver plate "20." The thermal collecting
plates "20" and "22" are both light weight, thin, less than 1/10 of one
millimeter, each having an area of 25 to 250 square millimeters. The
compensating plate "22" is bare, not covered by any catalyst.
It is only coated with a thin nonoxidizable nonactive coating. The
compensating plate is the same size and has the same weight as the total
weight of the active plate with its catalyst. The temperature of the
copper plates are both measured by a short time constant thermistor beads
"23" and "24" or a micro thermocouple implanted on the back of each of the
copper plates. The backs of both copper plates are both coated with an
insulating material that attaches them to the heat sink "25," FIG. 2. This
film is used as the thermal and electrical insulator. This plastic film is
1/100 of one millimeter or less thick. This film between the metal plates
"20" and "22" and their heat sink "25," and the weight of the metal plates
"20" and "22" plus the thermal detector beads weight, sets the time
constant of ozone detection. Normally, the longer the time constant, the
better the sensitivity.
It should be stated that the heat sinks are made of a metal such as copper
or silver that have a high thermal conductivity and high thermal capacity.
It should be noted that all metals except the stainless steel chambers of
this instrument are coated with a gold flash to control oxidation.
A second detector design can also be used, FIG. 3. This ozone detector
design employs two thermistor flakes instead of the copper plates and
thermistor beads as shown in FIG. 2. The active flake "26," in FIG. 3, is
coated with a thin coat of activated copper oxide ozone catalyst or any
other catalyst that will catalyze ozone to convert it to oxygen. The
compensating flake "28" is coated but with an insulator material "30"
having the same weight as the catalytic material. The compensating flake's
coating will not act as a catalyst and can not be oxidized or chemically
changed by the ozone. The thermistor flakes are thin sheets of thermistor
material "type A" having an area of 5.times.5 mm or larger. Both the
active thermistor and its compensator are attached over a thin plastic
film, approximately 100 microns thick, "32," as shown in FIG. 3, to their
metal heat sink "33" as shown in FIG. 3. This second model detector system
has a faster time constant and is more sensitive than the detector
described in FIG. 2, for its thermal losses are less; that is, less
thermal loss between the catalyst and the thermal detector.
Two or more sets of detectors in chambers in succession can be used to
produce large signals when measuring low concentrations of ozone as in
FIG. 1. Each detector in the first and second chamber "10" and "11" is
supplied with a pair of 5.times.5 millimeter or larger thermistor flakes
mounted on a heat sink as shown in FIG. 3. In operation, the incoming gas
jet strikes both thermistor flakes. Approximately 50% hit the active flake
and 50% fall on the compensating flake. The detection of ozone is
accomplished by having the active flake coated with a catalyst as shown in
FIG. 3, converting the ozone to oxygen, releasing its binding energy in
the form of heat as the ozone is converted to oxygen. The compensating
flake is coated with polystyrene, Teflon, or an epoxy film that will not
act as a catalyst or be oxidized. The higher the ozone concentration, the
more energy will be released as heat. The hotter the active flake gets,
the lower its resistance becomes. (Since the flakes employed have a 5% per
degree centigrade negative resistance). The ozone concentration will only
change the resistance of the active flake. The differential resistance
change between the active and compensating flake is directly related to
the amount of ozone concentration in the sample being measured. The active
and compensating thermistors are parts of an electrical bridge, as shown
in FIG. 4. Note placement of leads "41," "43" and signal lead "42" in FIG.
3 and in FIG. 4. (The same electronic configuration works for both FIG. 2
and FIG. 3). Any temperature change of cooling or heating by either the
incoming gas flow or any ambient temperature change will not be seen as a
signal inasmuch as both thermistors will follow the ambient temperature. A
signal will only develop when the active thermistor is at a different
temperature than its compensating thermistor.
During its use and operation, the instrument will read zero for an ambient
temperature range from 40 degrees F. to 100 degrees F. with no ozone in
the sample being monitored. The active and compensating thermistor
resistance will both go up or down simultaneously as the ambient
temperature changes, or if the temperature of the gas being monitored
changes. No signal will appear because both the active and the
compensating thermistor are matched in resistance and time constant. Both
flakes (the active and compensating) were chosen to have the same
resistance within less than 0.5% at 20 degrees Centigrade. Both
thermistors (bead or flake) have a thermal negative resistance change
value of 5% per degree Centigrade.
The start switch is also a part of the zeroing potentiometer. Resistor
"34," in FIG. 4, will zero out any battery voltage change. This detector
system can also be designed to operate on AC by feeding point "36" and
point "40" with pulses in phase derived from a center tapped transformer
with each side zener controlled.
An ozone monitor designed for system installation and continuous use, would
also be designed to measure pressure, temperature and humidity. The sample
read out could be reported as % concentration by weight or volume or as if
the sample were at 20 degrees C. at room ambiant pressure or whatever the
system may require for control.
Top